Sealing-lock eor railway-cars



UNITED STATES PATENT orio JAMES CLARK, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SEALINGr-LOCK FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 27,524, dated March 20, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAS. CLARK, of the city and county of Baltimore andState of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSealing-Locks for Railroad Cars, &c.; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of thisSpecification.

This improvement relates more particularly to that class of fasteningsknown as liush locks, in which the lock is fastened to the door and thelatch or hasp to the door j amb orto a leaf made stationary by bolts.

It consists in providing the lock with a projecting stud, perforatedwith a hole, and a latch having an opening that allows the studprojecting through it, so that a sealing wire or other substitute for itmay be passed through the perforation of the stud, after the latch is inits place on the lock.

The drawing represents the face of the lock with the latch or hasp inits place, and a wire and seal securing the latch.

A is the lock denominated a spring lock; B a swinging latch or hasp.

C, is a stud projecting from and attached to the face of the lock. Inthe latch a suitable opening is made to admit of the stud passingthrough it, and with the object of making a right or left hand lock,there is a second opening (a) in the latch, so as to admit of thereversal thereof.

The escutcheon (b) for covering the key hole is swung on a pivot, and isfurnished with a spring to throw it in place on the withdrawal of thekey: (d) is a lip attached to the escutcheon and (d) a'corresponding outof order, the latch when sealed would secure the car. It will be obviousthat in dispensing with the sealing, that the lock may be used.

The stud c having its perforation above the thickness of the latch(shown in the sectional drawing) will allow the sealing wire to bepassed through it, the end of which being twisted and passed through thelead seal (or plomb), secures the wire from removal and opening thelatch without previous cutting of the wire. rIhe sealing of theescutcheon is an additional security to the lock, and it is conducted inthe same manner.

I am aware of a patent having been granted to Thomas Haight Sept. 23d1856 in which the arrangement of parts differs materially from thatwhich I employ; but

Having described my improvement what I claim as my invention and desireto secure by Letters Patent as a new article of manufacture in sealinglocks for rail road cars is rIhe perforated stud c rising from the lockplate as described when employed with a swing latch and wire for sealingthe lock, the whole constructed as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name before two subscribingwitnesses.

JAS. CLARK.

Witnesses:

Jol-1N F. CLARK, EDM. F. BROWN.

